In musical performances there is a need for providing each performer on stage with means for hearing themselves as well as other performers on stage. These systems are the result of the high sound levels produced on stage due to the performers, sound reinforcement systems, and audiences.
Traditionally, this has been accomplished through the use of speakers mounted on stage that provide a mix or selected portions of the performance to each stage performer. Although this method works in practice and can be used in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein, using on stage monitors may produce harmful noise levels to the performers, restrict the mobility of the performers on stage, and can lead to interference and feedback issues.
In light of these characteristics of traditional monitoring, personal monitoring systems or in-ear monitoring systems were developed. These systems generally consist of one or more transmitters or base units that wirelessly transmit signals containing personalized mixes to individual body pack receivers or terminal units worn by each performer. The terminal units have jacks for sound-isolating earphones that are worn by the performer. These systems provide each individual performer with their own more accurate and clear personalized mix through the earphones, while providing the user with mobility on stage and while limiting the performer's exposure to high noise levels.
Current terminal units can only store one frequency setting at a time and have to be reconfigured in order to receive additional mixes outputted by the base units. This can be time consuming and takes away from the sound engineer's ability to perfect the audio mix. In addition, if a terminal unit fails, the sound engineer has to reconfigure a new terminal unit and deliver it onstage. This might not occur until an appropriate pause or break in the performance and therefore detracts from the sound engineer's ability to monitor the mix.